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Businesses feeling effects of extreme conditions

Flooding, wildfires take toll on visitor numbers in Okanagan
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Tourism-related businesses have felt the effects of unusual environmental conditions in the province this year.

In spring, rapid snow melt and unseasonably wet conditions resulted in flooding at Okanagan Lake, while more recently, wildfires are burning in many parts of the province during extremely dry conditions.

Reports of the devastation on social media sites have resulted in some visitors changing their vacation plans.

During the flooding, many docks were under water. Beaches and boat docks were closed because of the high water levels.

The lake level has subsided, but it still remains well above the full pool level.

In June, during the worst of the Okanagan Lake flooding, Christine Petkau, executive director of the Summerland Chamber of Commerce, contacted tourism-related businesses to ask about the effects of the flooding.

“Some of our businesses have seen between 15 and 30 per cent decreases in terms of visitor numbers in the month of June,” she said.

However, Gerry Conrad, president of the board of directors for the Kettle Valley Railway Society, said the steam train — one of Summerland’s most popular tourist attractions — has not experienced a drop in ridership numbers this year.

“We haven’t seen any significant effects on our operations so far this season,” he said.

This summer, because of the dry conditions and the numerous wildfires burning throughout British Columbia, open fire bans are in place provincewide. In addition, a provincial state of emergency has been declared.

This is the first time since 2003 that a state of emergency has been put in place.

During the 2003 fire season, because of the extreme conditions, the steam railway was forced to halt operations for a time. But this year, the train schedule is proceeding as usual.

Conrad said the railway is working with the Summerland Fire Department and the fire marshall on a daily basis.

In addition, the railway has a wetting system in place, to wet the track in an effort to reduce the fire hazard. A truck following the train also watches for potential fires. However, so far, there have been no fire-related problems from the train.

At the Summerland Waterfront Resort, business remained steady during the spring flooding conditions.

“We weathered the flooding quite well,” said sales manager Lisa Jaager. She said there were only a few cancellations because of the high water levels.

Boat rentals at the resort were affected, since the dock was under water. The dock was damaged during the flooding, but it is still usable.

The fires, however, have affected business for the resort hotel.

“We’ve definitely seen an impact with cancellations due to the wildfire situation,” Jaager said.

She added that the reports about the fires and the comments posted on social media have played a role in the cancellations.

“The message has had a bigger impact than the forest fires, particularly in the Okanagan,” she said.

She said fire bans are implemented each year in British Columbia and while smoke has at times drifted into the community this year, local attractions are still open.

In addition, the resort has a propane campfire in place near the beach. This fire is allowed during the campfire ban and staff are constantly monitoring it.

Petkau said Summerland businesses providing accommodations were holding their own, but retailers and tourism attractions were affected.

While conditions are unseasonably dry, and while smoke from wildfires is visible in Summerland and many parts of the province, Petkau said the fire season is not as dire as some would believe.

“We remain open and available for tourists,” she said. “All of our attractions are still open. We’re not affected, other than the smoke.”

Petkau said the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association has been speaking to media in major markets on a daily basis to spread the message that the region, including Summerland, is open for business.

“Unfortunately, news reports of fires, as well as the very real impact of days of poor air quality due to smokiness, may also take their toll on local tourism,” Petkau said.



John Arendt

About the Author: John Arendt

John Arendt has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years. He has a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism degree from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.
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